Baron Pierre de Coubertin's 'Dream'

An Amazing Olympic Story as told by John Ian Wing

This website commenced on 10/01/2008.

Baron de Coubertin had a dream

Baron de Coubertin designed the Olympic flag

This site was last updated on 21st March 2013

In 1912, Baron Pierre de Coubertin founder of the Modern Olympics, designed a flag with five interlocking rings. Each ring was of a different colour and each colour represented the five continents of the globe. He had a dream, that one day the Olympics would bring the five continents together as One Nation. Sadly, he did not live long enough to see his dream come true.

The boy wrote, "And there shall be only One Nation".

John Ian Wing was a student at Swinburne Junior Technical School in Melbourne

In 1952, a twelve year old Chinese schoolboy named John Ian Wing, who had just started at Swinburne Junior Technical School in Melbourne, wanted to change the Olympic Closing Ceremony. The boy thought the Closing Ceremony was very boring and he wanted to come up with an idea, which would make it more exciting. After a few months, he gave up the idea as it was affecting his schoolwork.

A boy's 'idea'. "Let there be One Nation"

Unbeknown to him, a few years later in 1956, the boy actually changed the procedure of the Closing Ceremony forever. His 'idea' brought all the countries of the world together as One Nation thus, fulfilling Baron Pierre de Coubertin's dream.

12 years of age

Baron Pierre de Coubertin's One Dream, One World, One Nation

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Quotes from Baron Pierre de Coubertin:

The Olympic Games are for the world and all nations must be admitted to them.

Racial distinctions should not play a role in sport

All sports must be treated on the basis of equality

Since the beginning of the Ancient Games in 776 B.C., no Team had ever marched in the Closing Ceremony, but at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, a schoolboy had the rules changed. He was not a competitor, nor an Olympic official, but he was able to change the protocol of an Olympic ceremony. How was this possible?